Posts by David Mitchell4

If you're wondering whether someone can deposit money directly into your checking account via the post office—the answer is yes.

That’s the gist of it, but send over the recommended version just to be safe.

Minimum package size is 5.5 x 3.5 inches

If you're actually interested in reading the entire thread, everything you need to know is laid out right here, along with a massive variety of firsthand experiences. 🙂

You could certainly put it in a book, but since the mail carrier handles the delivery, you're essentially just trusting that the recipient will actually follow through with the payment. It’s a gamble. You should definitely ship the book as a print order—check what the rates are for COD (cash on delivery) shipping first. That way, the mail carrier collects the cash upon arrival and brings it straight back to you.

First off, regarding $1.75—you have access to this forum and this specific thread, yet you still let them walk all over you? Honestly, it’s irresponsible. When you let people get away with these kinds of scams, you're just signaling to them that they can cheat anyone. My own situation, which I've detailed here on the forum, ended with $1.75 being refunded to my account along with a formal apology.

As for power of attorney, requiring a trip to a notary is just plain nonsense. Both parties should be able to simply head to the local Post Office with their IDs and about $4.25 in cash, and have everything handled in ten minutes.

Do your own research and stop following the herd. The Post Office has an email address they actually respond to and a free info line you can call.

It all comes down to the value and the sheer volume of the workload. For Michelle Grant73, it’s entirely possible they receive it within two days—say, if I send it today, someone else might see it by the day after tomorrow. My assumption is that there's a standard turnaround of a few days, especially if they're swamped. Hopefully, it arrives in time. 👍

Also, they were being incredibly condescending to me yesterday, claiming I couldn't ship it as a package—perfume included—even though I’d wrapped it up perfectly with plenty of padding. And regarding $7.25, they were insisting on their way, but I said "no way." I ended up going to a different branch, and a woman there handled it for me without a fuss. For context, the package was tiny, just 9x14cm. One time, an employee at the USPS even repacked it for me to make it slightly larger because I had been too stingy with the envelope 🙂
Anyway, measure your package. If it turns out to be smaller than the required dimensions, you can either hunt down a branch that won't give you grief or just repack it in a larger envelope.. 🙂
I basically have a Master's degree in navigating the USPS 🙂

Terrible. Even if you get your money back, it’s just not right. Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around how our postal service operates—it feels downright predatory. Am I crazy for saying that? If a package comes from the USA or the United Kingdom, the delivery experience is exactly the same as it is here. So, who's actually the problem? This is why I avoid packages entirely and stick to certified mail; dealing with standard parcels is nothing but a headache.

Sumner of my situation:
Basically, I've spent days going in circles with supervisors and local managers. Here’s the deal: a package arrived, but they claimed they couldn't deliver it. When I called to request redelivery, I was told that if I wanted them to try again, I’d have to pay an extra $1.75 fee, which happened during yesterday's attempt $1.75.

It makes zero sense. If I had simply gone down to the local branch to pick up the package myself, would anyone be charging me for a "redelivery attempt"? No. It seems incredibly poorly defined. Since the sender already paid for the package to be delivered to my door—not to some station in New York City—why am I being charged for delivery all over again? What is the point of using a delivery service if the recipient still ends up footing the bill? Especially for items coming from within the same postal network; I might as well walk to the New York City branch myself since I'm being forced to go anyway. Or, I could just pay the extra fee.

Furthermore, the fact that they charge per shipment is absurd. They informed me that because I have another package coming, I’ll be charged $1.75 for that one too, meaning $5.00 I'm looking at a significant total today for just two packages. I use the postal service constantly—both sending and receiving—and it infuriates me that for a service I've already paid for, I have to waste my time and sanity driving to a post office that isn't even on my route, only to deal with a clerk who acts entitled and won't even provide a proper receipt.

👎🙂:🙂

To top it off, they often don't even bother knocking; they just leave those little slips of paper behind.
I am fed up with the USPS. I'm actively looking for ways to boycott them. Does anyone happen to have a contact inside the postal service? Is there any way to ship something $5.00 where the recipient doesn't get hit with extra fees and it actually arrives at their doorstep? Certified mail is fine, but it gets prohibitively expensive for heavier items.

On the shipping label, there’s a specific field for the value where you just input the amount, and then they decide whether or not to print it on the package... basically, it's all right there on the label.

Drew Gonzalez75 - Honestly, I feel like delivery fees are just a total rip-off anyway, but I’d much rather pay $1.75 than waste my time and sanity fighting traffic and hunting for parking near New York City. It’s not even on my way. What’s even the point of this post if I still have to trek down to the post office to pick it up? The shipping was already paid for, and my address is right there on the label. USPS is a joke.

Elizabeth Palmer2 - www.usps.com. I’m not saying this to be difficult, but there is actually plenty of information available. Basically, "registered mail" and "insured packages" are two distinct services. If you're sending a light envelope, you might get registered service up to $5.00, but if it's heavy or in a box, it's better handled as a package. In both cases, you get a confirmation that works if you need to track down a missing shipment..

I honestly don't know, probably :P but we’ll be ready for them tomorrow. I’ll be stuck at work while my boyfriend heads out to handle it. We’ve already got the $1.75, power of attorney and all, prepared, and I’m calling first thing in the morning to reschedule the delivery. Let's see if they actually issue an invoice and what 🙂🙂🍿
will have to say about it.

I assume she suggested using certified mail just to be safe, rather than sending it standard... though you usually get a tracking slip with any package anyway. 👍
My god, I can't deal with this forum today. My mail carrier was being difficult again, and in the end, he wouldn't even leave the package—he just hauled it all the way back to Boise. I honestly cannot stand them.

Look 😢 you sent that via certified mail when it really should have been a package 😢
To be clear, when I said "package," I wasn't just using a figure of speech. I meant you actually show up and say, "I'm sending this as a package"...
and then fill out the specific shipping forms for packages, not the ones for certified mail..
Ugh, sorry. Now I feel like I’m the one who messed up the explanation 😢

I was thinking the exact same thing until a few days ago. 😁 Everything mentioned applies to packages weighing up to 11 lbs... and up to $33 in value. It would probably be best to just list $27 🙂

Is there a $5.00 limit on the package value? Also, if you're shipping it to a different post office branch, is there an extra $1.75 charge for home delivery, or can it just be picked up at the USPS location for free? Alternatively, couldn't you just cover those $1.75 fees yourself to save the recipient the headache, especially if she's already dropped a significant amount on 😁

Just wrap a shoebox in some wrapping paper and there you have it—your package is ready to go. 😁

Angela Flores76 said:That extra $1.75 fee kicks in if some guy in a delivery van drops off your package instead of a standard USPS carrier. In my experience, they charge me that same $1.75 amount and then I get a confirmation showing I paid the $1.75. They are required to provide you with a receipt. 🙂

Even if they arrive by shuttle, I just don't get it—isn't that supposed to be included in the shipping cost? If it isn't, then what exactly is this $5.00 charge for? That's the crux of the matter. Here is the official statement from the USPS:

Regarding your inquiry, we would like to inform you that shipping fees are generally charged to the sender in advance, unless otherwise specified by the Postal Service Act, the General Terms and Conditions, or a contract established between UPS and the user. Shipping fees for parcel delivery are charged to the recipient.
Please note that the shipping fee for parcel delivery may be charged to the sender if requested. In such cases, the package will be marked with "DELIVERY SHIPPING PREPAID." Therefore, if the delivered package does not bear this mark, you, as the recipient, are responsible for paying the delivery service according to the Postal Services Price List. This price list is provided by UPS in accordance with the provisions of the Postal Service Act, which we have attached. Furthermore, please allow us to note that all terms, methods, and procedures for performing postal services are regulated by the GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR POSTAL SERVICES and the POSTAL SERVICE ACT, both of which are published on the USPS website www.usps.com.

Regardless, this doesn't sit right with me, and I'll certainly be following up with them again...

Since he didn't issue an invoice, I guess you were wrong after all. Besides, this whole thread would be pointless if everyone just "went and asked." Why don't you find a hobby 😉 if you don't know the answer? You don't have to comment, right? And yet, here we are 😉

I’m dying to know what kind of logic they’re using to justify these extra fees. I finally managed to get a deal with all the local mail carriers to actually ring the doorbell instead of assuming nobody is home between 9 and 5, and then this happens... I don't have any plans to head down to the post office anytime soon, so if anyone is heading that way, could you please ask them for me? I'll check it out myself the next time I get the chance. 👍